Frequently Asked Questions

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Learning and Teaching		Opportunity Class Placement Return to Opportunity Class Placement Homepage . Opportunity Class Placement Tests Past test papers . Contact Details Selective High School and Opportunity Class Placement Unit Locked Bag 6109 Milperra DC NSW 1891 Telephone: (02) 9707 6262 Fax: (02) 9707 6265 Email:ssu@det.nsw.edu.au Enquiries can also be directed to the principal of the public school that your child is currently attending. Enquiries about courses and programs offered by specific opportunity classes should be addressed to the schools concerned.
K-Yr 6 Learning Areas Yrs 7-10 Subjects Yrs 11-12 Subjects K-Yr 6 Assessment Yrs 7-12 Assessment Yrs K-12 Focus Areas	Home › Learning and Teaching › K-Yr 6 Assessment › Opportunity Class Placement › Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions What happens if, after completing the application form, I find that I will be moving to a different area? What provision is made for students from non-government schools? What can I do to prepare my child for the Opportunity Class Placement Test? What happens if my child gets sick on the day of the test? If my outcome letter indicates that my child is unsuccessful, can his or her name be placed on a reserve list? Do children from opportunity classes automatically get into selective high schools when they reach Year 7? If my child is unsuccessful for opportunity class placement, should I cancel my plans to apply for selective high school entry in the future? What score does a student have to gain to be successful for opportunity class placement? What does the Opportunity Class Placement Test tell me about my child’s performance? What happens if, after completing the application form, I find that I will be moving to a different area? Before the opportunity class selection committees meet in September you should write to the Unit with your new address. The Unit will forward your application to the appropriate committee. If you write after the selection committees have met, your application may need to be referred to an appeals panel and will be considered subject to your child's academic merit and the availability of places. What provision is made for students from non-government schools? The same selection procedures apply to students from government and non-government schools. Principals of non-government primary schools have been asked to accept your application, add school assessment scores and comments if relevant and send it to the Unit. Return to Top What can I do to prepare my child for the Opportunity Class Placement Test? The Opportunity Class Placement Test consists of 70 multiple-choice questions written expressly for the 2009 Opportunity Class Placement Test. Past test papers are available on the website. Students will be given practice questions before the test begins. If you want to give your child additional help, practice with the past test papers or with any type of multiple-choice questions will increase familiarity with the format and techniques. What happens if my child gets sick on the day of the test? You should download an Illness/Misadventure form from the website or contact the Unit to ask for a form to be posted to you. The form should be returned to the Unit, together with evidence of your child's illness, whether or not he or she attempted the test. The selection committee will then consider the illness/misadventure claim as part of the application. It is generally better to attempt the test than to miss it. Children who miss out on the test may be considered on their moderated school assessment scores or, if these are not available, on any alternative evidence submitted. Return to Top If my outcome letter indicates that my child is unsuccessful, can his or her name be placed on a reserve list? No. Three key words or phrases are used in outcome letters: 'offer', 'reserve list' and 'unsuccessful'. Selection committees decide the children who will receive offers and those who will be placed on the reserve (waiting) list. These children have higher scores than those who are unsuccessful. Do children from opportunity classes automatically get into selective high schools when they reach Year 7? There is no automatic entry into selective high schools. Children from opportunity classes must compete with all other candidates for entry to selective high schools. Return to Top If my child is unsuccessful for opportunity class placement, should I cancel my plans to apply for selective high school entry in the future? The entry requirements for opportunity class placement and selective high school placement can vary significantly. Moreover, there is scope for improvement in the ability and performance of students over the two years between application for opportunity class and selective high school placement. There are more places in selective high schools than there are in opportunity class. What score does a student have to gain to be successful for opportunity class placement? There is no pre-determined score that a student has to achieve to be successful for opportunity class placement. The minimum entry score for each school with an opportunity class depends on the score achieved by the candidates applying for that school and can vary from school to school and from year to year. The greater the demand for the school the higher the entry score is likely to be. Return to Top What does the Opportunity Class Placement Test tell me about my child’s performance? The Opportunity Class Placement Test is designed to help identify students for entry into opportunity classes on the basis of academic merit. It is not meant to identify the student's strengths and weaknesses in English language or mathematics performance. The student's primary school is in a far better position to advise you on your child's performance in these areas.